


『Natsuki Subaru』's tale, from Zero -- Arc 1

by Flamingogogoogly



Series: 『Natsuki Subaru』's Tale, From Zero [1]
Category: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Genre: Author Loves Comments, Blood and Gore, Cradle of Od Lagna is weird, F/M, Following the light novels, Guilt, Lots of Vomit, Lots of tears, Nobody remembers how they got there, Poor subaru man, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Screaming, Spoilers up to the recent web novel chapters, Subaru is suffering, Subaru isn't there; or is he, Survivor Guilt, Trying to stay in character, anime-onlies watch out, audience fights, author follows the book, author gets creative in violent scenes, author loves suggestions, but still sticks to canon don't worry, camps find out just how much, even Reinhard gets shaken up, gang reacts to subaru's suffering, lots of blood, lots of gore, lots of screaming and crying from both sides, mysterious place
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:40:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingogogoogly/pseuds/Flamingogogoogly
Summary: Upon waking up in a white void, Emilia finds herself at a complete loss. She does not remember how and when she arrived there, and neither do the other camps - who had also woken up in this empty space.Wandering around in search of a way out, Emilia and the others find themselves before a strange sort of pillar - it bares a handprint that none of them recognize. Before they can reach it to investigate, however...From the endless white, a strange image is born.It is Natsuki Subaru---walking into a convenience store.
Relationships: Natsuki Subaru/Suffering
Series: 『Natsuki Subaru』's Tale, From Zero [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018474
Comments: 48
Kudos: 129





	『Natsuki Subaru』's tale, from Zero -- Arc 1

**Author's Note:**

> Although I feel bad posting just a preview for now, I want to see what you guys think I should do with it. This story takes place in the void of Od Lagna's Cradle, somewhere near the hall of memories - a white void. There are some odd statues of trees and plants, as well as the occasional household item - as if forgotten things had been left there, forever. 
> 
> As the story goes on and into further arcs, more characters will appear in the white void, having appeared with no recollection as to how they arrived. I'm not sure how many, though, as I can only write from the perspective of so many people... but I'll try regardless. 
> 
> A few other people have begun writing reaction fics to Subaru's story, and I also wanted to jump on board - except with details and events specific to the light novel. I love the anime, don't get me wrong, but there are just some things better conveyed through words - more specifically, the pain of the crushing witch's hand, Subaru's mental state. There are also the things that had been cut from the anime, such as Al's reveal of being Isekai'd. There are some things I could include from the anime that I liked, though - such as Wilhelm's more vague explanation of Subaru's eyes and Ram protecting the children in the massacre loop.
> 
> Nobody knows why they were summoned there, or by who, and even Reinhard is at a loss when he arrives. With important characters from the various camps, how would they react to Subaru's suffering? Probably sadness, and maybe fear. I wish to explore how they would react to this, especially his closer friends and Emilia. This takes place in the original story after Subaru was transported from the tower, so Rem is awake - and by some odd conundrum, Puck is back, and memories have been returned to each of the cast that had been forgotten or forgotten themselves.
> 
> Once again, please let me know what you think of this snippet! I'm not sure if I captured the character's essence correctly, so I'm looking forward to critique, especially on their reactions and their interactions based on each one's relationship. One last note - I will most definitely be continuing my other fic, but this one will probably take precedence if I start it off (I love this idea of a fanfiction, after all). Anyways, on to it!

\---- The image blurred and shifted to red; the brilliant crimson that had stained the loot house floor.

Nobody spoke. Only the sound of quiet, ragged breathing echoed throughout the white void. Some trembled under the sheer weight of what they had seen, and others--

“...th’ **fuck?** What the hell?" The first to break the silence was Garfiel.

\-- others took action.

"What kinda… th’ hell is this?” Garfiel’s feeble voice shivered with rage. He trembled, his hands curling and uncurling, claws digging into his palm. He whipped his head around to face Reinhard, who was stock still. Heel digging into the malleable floor, he slowly made his way over to the red-haired knight.

Throwing spittle, he snarled, “Hey… I ain’t kiddin’. Ya better spit it out, ‘sword saint’. Why the hell’re we watchin’ this shit? This some kinda sick joke?!”

Grabbing Reinhard's collar, he glared.

“I…” Reinhard murmured, his brows twitching, “... do not know. I too, fail to understand...” His normally calm expression had paled ever so slightly. Collar still in Garfiel's grasph, he turned to Felt, who looked back at him with eyes rounded in shock. “Felt-sama…” 

Felt turned away from him, staring at the ground in an uncharacteristic show of weakness. Her lips momentarily quivered before she shut them in a thin line, shaking her head as her eyes squeezed shut. “Old man Rom is safe… big bro, too, right? So…”

“...what is the purpose of this?” Julius continued what Felt failed to say, shaking his head. “To show us something so… horrid…” He combed his hair back, exhaling shakily through his nose.

Otto, who had been quivering till then, rose his voice. “...perhaps this is some sort of test? Being made to witness such awful things to prepare us for whatever this place may have in store..?” 

Despite his horror, his voice was calm and collected. Such was the nature of the merchant Otto Suwen.

“Since this is… a time that hadn’t occurred, as Reinhard-san said. Could this be... maybe, a show of presents that could have come to be?”

Emilia, whose eyes were wet with unshed tears, turned to Otto with shaky legs. “...is that it? Are we being made to watch… what would have happened, had we not met with Subaru?” She uselessly grasped the crystal on her chest, which Puck silently watched. He stroked her cheek and held her hand, which treated his paw as her lifeline.

The cat's eyes narrowed in fury. Towards whom, nobody knew.

Otto could only quietly stare back at the shaking half-elf, his eyes wavering. “I don’t know… Garfiel.” Turning to his brother figure, he walked over and laid a hand on the demi-human's trembling shoulder, which further tensed beneath his touch. “Please don’t be angry at Reinhard-san. He’s just as far in the dark as we are.”

“Tch! Th’ bastard was the one who told us to watch this in th’ first place, yeh?! Guy’s crazy strong, so what makes ya think he’s not capable of shit like this?!” Garfiel growled, shaking off Otto’s hand and continuing to glare at the knight with unrestrained hatred. The grip on the sword saint's collar tightened, yet Reinhard showed no signs of being affected..

The knight in question composed himself, removing the boy's arm with no effort whatsoever. He held it in his grasp, looking the tiger in the eye. “...I understand your frustration, but I have no knowledge of what we are being shown. This place may be in the cradle of Od Lagna, but… I too am in the dark on all of its inner workings.” He glanced back at the flickering image, which strobed in a deep red hue - the hue of Subaru’s blood. Reinhard narrowed his eyes.

Before Garfiel could answer, a voice sharp with anger echoed from near where Roswaal was seated.

The speaker was Ram, who looked as if she wanted to destroy the picture before her.

“This is ridiculous. Barusu may be stupid and helpless without us, but we already knew such things. Ram finds it pointless to be shown something that like this, even more so when it wounds her sister’s heart so deeply.” With a “tch”, Ram held on tighter to her younger sister's hand, who had been watching with quiet horror. 

Rem hadn’t made a sound, and her expression was composed. The only sign of emotion on her blank stare was a slight tremble in her lip and the widening of her watering eyes. She grasped onto Ram’s hands, shaking her head and blinking away the tears.

“...Rem is... alright, sister. But…” She leaned closer into her twin, glaring tearfully at the flickering red picture. “Seeing Rem’s hero like this is…”

Emilia nodded in agreement, her hand now holding Puck near her chest. “It’s horrible. I know this is Od Lagna, but... surely someone is behind this, so why? Why would someone do something so cruel?” The pulsing red asserted its presence, reflecting beautifully off of her silver hair. 

Crusch, who had been listening on with furrowed brows, sighed and turned to Otto, who was once again holding Garfiel by the shoulder. “What you have said seems to be the most likely. Although such a thing is incredibly cruel,” she glanced towards the shaken Emilia camp, “this may be a way of testing us in preparation for some sort of trial the Od Lagna will provide. In no way do I wish to watch any more of this, but it may be necessary for the purposes of overcoming what is awaiting us.”  
Otto momentarily paused before nodding in response, expression grave.

“Although I hate to say it, yes. We would not be made to see something like this if it had no meaning.” 

Garfiel, who's wrist was still in the silent Reinhard's grasp, tore it from him in a fit of rage, directing his anger towards the man behind him. "So yer tellin' me to just watch and wait?! What kinda bullshit- you -we just saw th' Cap'n and Princess **die!**! The old bastard, too! Yer tellin' me you want my amazin' self to just sit here an' let this happen? Not a--"

\--- end of preview


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